title: [Healing practitioners in Austria?].
abstract: Following Austria's joining the Europian Union (EU), the "Heilpraktiker" topic has become a much debated subject in this country. This paper is an attempt to clarify a number of misconceptions related to this profession. The training, knowledge, responsibilities and rights of "Heilpraktiker" are not in accordance with the law that aims at "averting a danger to the health of the people". An EU harmonization of non-medically trained practitioners has long been discussed in Brussels but was recently rejected. A speedy solution to the obvious problems is therefore not in sight. On the basis of these facts, there are hardly any good reasons for introducing the "Heilpraktiker" in Austria.
authors.affiliation: Department of Complementary Medicine, University of Exeter, United Kingdom. E.Ernst@exeter.ac.uk
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ernst
mesh_terms: D001317:Austria; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000193:education; D003479:Curriculum; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D008602:Mental Healing; D011781:Quackery; D016896:Treatment Outcome
vernacular_title: Heilpraktiker in Osterreich?